Check-row attachment for corn-planters



(No Model.)

P. B; TAIT v CHECK ROW ATTACHMENT FOR GORN PLANTERS.

No. 255,472. Patented Mar. 28,1882.

Illlllllflllllllll'l In W? 22-6021 M WM 3 gin/1a,. 11/ 4.

UNITE ST TES PATENT Qrrrca.

FELIX B. TAIT, or DECATUR, ILLINOIS.

,CHECK-ROW ATTACHMENT FOR CORN-PLANTERS SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent 255,472, dated March 28, 1882.

I' Application filed October 24,1881. (No model.) I

. corn-planters which are operated by a wire or cord stretched across the field and having knots or stops thereon; and it consists, first, 1n the arrangement of a four-tooth ratchetwheel mounted upon the ends of a transverse shaft and an oscillating arm having an oblong hole adapted to pass over the shaft, and is further provided with a tooth or spur formed onone side, so as to engage with the teeth of the ratchet and transmit an intermittent rotary motion to the shaft in connection with a weighted locking-pawlso arranged as to lock the ratchet and transverse shaft and oscillating arm at the terminus of each for'ward stroke; second, in combination with the above devices, a bevel-gear secured to the transverse shaft central between its ends, aclip-journalattached to the transverse beam which supports a short lateral shaft provided with a smaller bevel-gear, acrank-disk, and adjustable crank or wrist pin for operating the slide-bar of the seed-valves. I attain these objects by the dedevice illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- I Figurel is an end view, representing the ratchet and pivoted oscillating arm or-lever at the terminus of its forward stroke, stopped and locked by the weighted locking-pawl, as it appears the instant before the knot or stop on the wire slips through the fork; also shows the guides on the ends of the bar, andthe wire as applied when in practical operation. Fig.

2 is a top view of the same with the addition of the central gearing which connects with the seed-slide, and represents the checking mechanism at the end of the shaft as it ap suitable construction to render it capable of use on most, or perhaps all, of the popular corn-planters now in use.- Upon this frame are mounted the several parts of mechanism embodied In my improvement, of which 0 represents the transverse shaft, fitted to revolve in suitable bearings,d, of the plate D, which is attached to the lengthwise side beam, A, and

is supported centrally by the arm E of the clip-journal E, which extends outward and downward from the transverse. beam B. Onto each of the extreme ends of this shaft 0 is secured a four-tooth ratchet-wheel, F, and between it and the plate D is placed an oscillating arm or lever, G, provided with forks 'g 9, between which the knotted wire runs. Onto one side of this arm G is cast a tooth or spur, h, which engages with the teeth of the ratchet alternately, and thereby revolves the shaft 0 one-quarter round with each forward stroke. In order to allow the oscillating arm G to return to its first position and its tootl or spur h to pass over the top of the next tooth of the ratchet and drop into position, so that when actuated by the'stop on the wire it will make a another quarter-revolution of the ratchet and,

shaft, an oblong hole, 15, is provided in the body or that part which passes over the shaft, and is elongated only so much as will allow the spur h to pass over the top ofthe ratchet-tooth. Its own weight, aided bythe spring 0, causes it to drop into place to be againoperated by the wire. The direction of elongation of the hole 6 relative to the face at the spur h and direction of its leverage is such aswill not allow the spur h to disengage from the tooth of the ratchet andjump over, so as to make a stroke without revolving the shaft 0, as by close examination of this particular feature in my improvement, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, it will be obvious that the spur h cannotbe disengaged when operated by the stops on the wire regardless of the velocity of its action. The terminus of its forward stroke forms a dead lock and stop to the shaft by the oscillating arm G striking the projection h of the weighted pawl H, thereby forcing its lower projection, it", up against the ratchetwheel, thus forming a lock which prevents further rotation of the shaft 0.

I is a bevel'gear secured to the transverse shaft 0, near its center, for the purpose of transmitting an intermittent rotary motion to the short lateral shaft J through the medium of a smaller bevel-gear, K, which is secured thereto. The gear-wheel K, mounted on the end of the lateral shaft J, is necessarilyone-fourth the diameter of the gear-wheel I. The object of this is apparent from the following description: The shaft 0 being impelled by a ratchet and paw], said ratchet having four teeth, and at each oscillation of the arm G the shaft 0 turns one-quarter round. The gear-wheel I,heing four times the diameter of the gear K, causes the shaft J, upon which it is mounted, to revolve one-half round, the opposite end of this lateral shaft J being provided with a crank-disk, L, carrying an adjustable crank or wrist pin, it, which is designed to engage with the shake-bar or seed-slide of the planter in a manner common to the art. The object of this crank-pin being adjustable is to facilitate lengthening or shortening the stroke of the slide'bar. as is often necessary in its use with the many planters of different construction for which it is designed.

The clip-journal E is adapted to fit over the transverse beam B, as shown in Fig. 2, and is secured thereto by the bolts 0 c", and has lower projections, ff, which are provided with holes or journals g 9, adapted to receive the lateral shaft J. A cap-plate, g, forming the upper part of the journal at the end of the arm E, extends along the top of the arm, and is secured to the body by the Delta, which passes through the cap-plate, clip, and beam, and secures all together in the manner shown in Fig.

'2. A dowel-pin is cast onto the under side of the cap-plate, which is let into the body of the clip-journal to prevent lateral displacement.

The checking devices shown are used in daplicate at each end of the transverse shaft, being made rights and lefts, and the action of one in planting corn does not affect the one opposite.

I am aware that prior to my invention fourtooth ratchet-wheels have been used in connection with a transverse shaft, as I am also aware that a weighted locking-pawl is held by me in a former patent; but these I do not claim separate and apart from other elements embodied in the present combination, as herein shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a check-row attachment for corn-planters, a transverse shaft, a four-tooth ratchetwheel, and weighted locking-pawl in combination with the oscillating arm G, having a tooth or spur, h, cast onto one of its sides to engage with the teeth of the ratchet-wheel, and the 01)- long hole 2', adapted to pass onto the transverse shaft O, as shown, and for the'purpcse specified.

2. The combination, with the transverse shaft 0, having the four-tooth ratchet F and oscillating arm G, the weighted locking-pawl H, and bevel-gear I, of the lateral shaft J, supported by and adapted to revolve within the journals 9 g of the clip-journal E, and provided with bevel-gear K and crank-disk L, which actuatcs the seed-slide, substantially as set forth.

3. In a check-row attachment, the combination, with a transverse shaft and mechanism for imparting an intermittent rotary motion thereto, of a clip-journal centrally located on the transverse beam B, having alaterally-projecting arm, E, for the purpose of afi'ordinga central bearing and support to the shaft C, and provided with a cap, g, which forms a part of the journal and extends along the top of said arm to the clip, to which it is secured in the manner and for the purpose specified.

4. In a check-row attachment, the combination, with the transverse beam and shaft, of the clip-journal E, having lower projections, ff, which pass down on either side of the beam B, and provided with holes or journals gg,which support the lateral shaft J, substantiallyin the manner shown, and for the purpose described.

FELIX B. TAIT.

Witnesses:

JOHN ARCHER, BENJ. W. DILLEHUNT. 

